Tanzania’s President Jakaya Kikwete joins David Wilhelm of Hecate Energy and others at the University of Dodoma, the site of what will be the largest solar farm ever built on a college campus. (Photo courtesy of Hecate Energy)

On a plot of freshly cleared land next to the new medical complex at the University of Dodoma (UDOM), Tanzania’s President Jakaya Kikwete cut a ribbon to officially launch a project that will position UDOM as one of Africa’s leading academic institutions in renewable energy.

The centerpiece of the project will be the construction of the largest solar farm ever built on a college campus, one that will generate 55 megawatts (MW) of power for UDOM and the surrounding community.

The ribbon-cutting celebrated the first phase of a project that will provide solar power to the university’s dormitories, lecture halls, research centers, and medical complex by mid-2016. The second phase of the project, which will provide solar electricity to the central Dodoma region, is expected to be in service by the end of next year.

Plans for the project are being developed in partnership with Hecate Energy, a U.S. developer of large-scale renewable energy projects and one of Power Africa’s first private sector partners. Working under a grant provided by the U.S. Trade and Development Agency, UDOM selected Hecate to perform a feasibility study on the viability of developing the 55 MW project.

Ultimately, the project will support UDOM’s goals of establishing itself as a global center of excellence in renewable energy and sustainability, and of developing the trained workforce, research scientists, and entrepreneurs that will help Tanzania lead the way on the African continent when it comes to deploying clean, local energy.

To achieve this broader goal, UDOM has established a strategic partnership with The Ohio State University (OSU), one of the United States’ largest research universities with an international reputation in food, water, energy, and health. Already, OSU and UDOM have committed to working together to retrofit 125 village water well systems with solar-powered pumps that can provide clean water and improve health and sanitation for rural Tanzanians.

Hecate and USTDA are proud to support this important Power Africa project. Clean energy will be a big part of Africa’s future, and UDOM’s efforts will help Tanzania meet its goals of leading the way in renewable power. This means a higher quality of life for the people of Tanzania, now and into the future.